Great outdoor dining is a lovely way to savor those first sun-filled days of spring, and it makes the dog days of summer in the city tolerable, at least in my book. An hour sitting on a shady patio, sipping a cold drink, steels me for the rest of the week. Even as the pandemic eases, outdoor dining is still the safest way to go when you want to eat out.

Of course, eating out with kids is never as simple as that, so we’ve selected not just sublime outdoor dining spots but ones with enough room to roam. Hopefully, these family-friendly Manhattan restaurants, from the southernmost tip at the Battery all the way up to the

Find more kid-friendly restaurant suggestions in our Kid-Friendly Restaurant Guide.

There are few more delightful ways to celebrate the arrival of spring than by viewing the beautiful cherry blossoms flowering all over New York City. In Japan, cherry blossom-viewing is taken to almost religious heights. Blooming flowers are carefully watched, enjoyed, and celebrated. Traditional Sakura Hanami parties feature eating, drinking, and music.

Although many of the annual cherry blossom festivals are on hold again in 2021, there are many places to enjoy these gorgeous blossoms this April and even deeper into the spring season. Here are the best places to see cherry blossoms in New York City this spring. Find more seasonal happenings in our Spring Fun Guide.

Summer camp can be especially stressful for your family's finances—even more so during the pandemic—while we want our children to have a fun, rewarding, and safe experience, we don't want to dig into our retirement fund to pay for it. Even if your family is swimming in money, everyone can appreciate a good bargain.

Although there seem to be fewer FREE New York City summer camps than in years past, our list of inexpensive or cheaper camps for local kids is still substantial. Arts and education funding subsidizes some excellent New York City programs so all children can experience the fantastic resources of this city.

Read on for all our picks for FREE and bargain summer camps for NYC kids. You can find even more summer options in our jam-packed Summer Camp Guide and search for programs by interest, age range, and location in our Camp Directory, or learn more about local and virtual summer camps with our upcoming Online Camp Fair. Visit virtual booths and watch live camp demos.